A potensial lifesaver...

[JTK]

After reading tunariaan's post I just realised we somethimes need to think and teach our kids what to do and not to do. I have a 10y old boy. We ride regularly but most of our riding is in town. We ride Mtb and ride on sidewalks etc. Safe right? not always! I always look out for him and we have a code for when we get to cross roads etc. All works well. However for a portion of our ride we ride on the sidewalk next to an extremely busy road. People race up and down with no regard. I realised what was going to happen before it happened, as one usualy does. My son was riding in front of me and we were a couple of 100m from home after a great ride. It was "bin day" and one of the people's bins were still out in front. The bin was standing close to a telephone pole. I think you know where this is going. I saw him hesitate and realised because he does not know he is likely to make the wrong call but I was to late. He went around the road side of the obstical and because it was so close to the sidewalk he went to close past the obstical and the handle bar caught. with the geometry of biclycles and the way they work you will always fall oposite to where your handle bar turns to. Hence the bike ejected him a meter into the road. Layin on his back, head end in the road looking straight into my eyes a car's wheel went no more than 20cm past his head. I felt my whole "life" in peril and andrenalin made me pick him up with one hand and his bike with the other lifting it out of peril. I can only thank HIM for blocking that car to have it swerve out and miss his head. Felt sick for days afterwards

 

Moral of the story...

 

Please for heavens sake explain to your child (and yourself if you dont understand how it works) what will happen if your handle bar gets caught on something next to the road when you are pass road side. Your front wheel steers away from the road ejecting you into the road. He never passes an obstical road side anymore. Always the other side. And if he is not sure he stops, gets off his bike and pushes it past. May seem like a wuss. But he is alive and that is more important than anything else.

Edited July 15, 2012 by JTK

[Skylark]

I've been in that situation before , seeing a friend who fell into the road being passed by a car with centimeters to spare

Spine chilling , in that instant you realise the true fragility of humans and how seriously you need to take life

Good to hear your son is safe and sound

[Kranky]

Thanks for the advice. I've never considered this before.

 

Glad your son is ok.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Goobacks

[JTK]

Thanks.Trust me no one is as glad as I am. I did not breath for a days after that. All I could see in my minds eye is what what could have happened.

[LOOK695]

Glad that your son is ok. Like mentioned, life is precious and death can come very quickly and unexpectately. I know how you feel, that moment of realizing that maybe....... My son nearly drowned when he was 2. I found him floating face down and when I picked him up and turned him around, he was lifeless in my arms and completely gray in his face, but cpr brought him around. I still sometime get cold shivers some 5 years later. I am just grateful that he is ok and still with us.

[slayer 83]

This is scary, very glad that your son is ok.